The Politics of Pregnancy: Adolescent Sexuality and Public Policy

Teenage pregnancy is widely viewed as a significant social problem. This book argues that much of the problem stems from simplistic or inaccurate perceptions of what the problem is. Although most individuals believe that early childbirth is a cause of poverty, the research in this volume suggests that poverty is also a partial cause of early childbirth. The problem is not so much teenagers who want sex too soon, but a society that offers too little too late - too little birth control information, too few job opportunities, and too little reason for many low income teenagers to stay in school and delay childbearing. Read more